Sparkle has signed an agreement with Unitirreno for the deployment of a new submarine cable system at the Genoa landing platform.
Unitirreno, a partnership between Unidata, Italian TLC operator and ISP, aims to enhance connectivity across the Mediterranean region.
The Unitirreno submarine cable system will cross the Tyrrhenian Sea, from Genoa to Mazara del Vallo in Sicily, with additional branches reaching Olbia in Sardinia and Rome, and potential future expansions.
Designed as an open cable system, it will support a total capacity of 480 tbps (terabits per second) over approximately 1,030 kilometres.
The cable is scheduled to become operational by the second quarter of 2025.
Under the agreement, Unitirreno will leverage Sparkle's Genoa landing platform. This scalable infrastructure offers a turnkey solution, ensuring a highly resilient and secure landing point on the Western European coastline.
The platform is already a crucial hub for the BlueMed and BlueRaman systems and connects to the Genoa Digital Hub in Lagaccio.
The hub is an open, neutral co-location facility that interlinks with other submarine cables and European terrestrial networks, as well as the Ge-DIX Internet Exchange Point, which is already active at the facility.
Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle, commented on the partnership, "We are honored to be chosen by Unitirreno as their landing partner on the Western European coast. This agreement further enriches the Ligurian digital ecosystem and solidifies our Genoa Landing Platform as a key alternative for submarine cables seeking diversified entry into Europe."
Renato Brunetti, President and CEO of Unidata, stated, "We are very pleased with the agreement with Sparkle. It not only guarantees reliability and security but also opens doors for future collaborations. We believe this agreement will significantly enhance the development of an advanced interconnection system, improving service quality and fostering new innovations."
